Vaudrueil's War Plans: 1756

The population of New France did not compare favourably with that of the British colonies to the south. Canada had 60,000 colonists, while the population of the British colonies had grown to over 1.5 million. In addition, the British government was prepared to commit large numbers of troops to the war in North America, while the Royal Navy's blockade of Canada meant that few reinforcements could be expected from France.

Governor Vaudrueil calculated that the only effective strategy would be one of pre-emptive raids on the British colonies. The Canadian militia and Native allies were highly skilled in la petite guerre (guerrilla warfare). The French and their allies controlled the extensive network of rivers that bordered the British colonies. The Canadians could use their superior mobility to strike at American towns from Maine to the Carolinas. The British army would be forced to disperse its forces and send detachments to protect the frontier settlements. As a result, it would be unable to concentrate its forces for an assault on Canada.